The brothers Pathan clinch India victory

Sri Lanka v India, Twenty20 international, Colombo

The brothers Pathan clinch India victory

February 10, 2009

India 174 for 7 (Irfan 33*, Raina 35) beat Sri Lanka 171 for 4 (Dilshan 67, Jayasuriya 33) by three wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Tillakaratne Dilshan's half-century was undone by two smaller but far more significant Indian contributions © AFP

On a day when the Hussey brothers did the winning act for Australia, India found their answer in the two Pathans, with Yusuf and Irfan scripting a thrilling three-wicket win in the one-off Twenty20 game. Set a challenging 172 for victory, India seemed to have botched up the chase when Sri Lanka's spinners reduced them to 115 for 7, but then came the last twist on an evening which had several: a 59-run partnership off 25 balls, and India were home and dry with four balls to spare, ending the tour with five wins in six games.

The Twenty20 game is designed to thrill, and this game did that in ample measure: there were 345 runs scored in 39.2 overs, with 11 sixes and 32 fours. The most important of them, though, came late in the evening from the Pathan brothers, after it seemed Sri Lanka's spinners had spun the match irreversibly in their favour.

From an utterly dominant 81 for 2 after eight overs, India lost their next five wickets for 34 runs as Malinga Bandara, the legspinner, and Sanath Jayasuriya turned it around with a mix of fine bowling and some curious shot selection from the Indians. With Yuvraj Singh - who continued his sublime form with an utterly dominant 21-ball 32 - Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja all back in the hutch and the asking rate an imposing 11.40 an over, Sri Lanka were well on their way to an incredible come-from-behind victory.

Enter the Pathan brothers. Yusuf had already made a name for himself in the IPL, and here he decided to remind the Sri Lankans of his prowess before the second season which starts later this year. The second ball he faced, from Bandara, was smashed over extra cover, the next one disappeared behind the sightscreen, and two balls later, another hit vanished over wide long-on. The requirement had come down to 40 from four overs.

That forced Tillakaratne Dilshan to abandon the idea of bowling more overs of spin, but when the fast bowlers returned, Irfan was ready to join in the fun. Lasith Malinga was carved over extra-cover for a one-bounce four, Dilhara Fernando was clubbed over midwicket for six, before the coup de grace was finally delivered off Malinga with a meaty blow over midwicket. Game, set, and match for the Pathan brothers.

Till that amazing turnaround, the match had gone pretty well for Sri Lanka and for first-time captain Dilshan: he won the toss - something that has been as rare as a victory for Sri Lanka in this series - starred with the bat despite a shaky start with a busy 61 to lift his team out of a mid-innings slump, and then, doing the job of makeshift wicketkeeper, even managed a sharp catch to dismiss the fluent and in-form Yuvraj. When he did make mistakes, lady luck still smiled on him: Irfan dropped a sitter in the first over when Dilshan was 0, but when Dilshan missed a chance from Raina on 28, it only cost his team seven runs.

It was with the bat, though, that Dilshan made his biggest contribution, getting to his first half-century in this format. Sensibly, he played the second fiddle to the rampaging Jayasuriya, contributing just 18 in an opening partnership of 59. Thereafter, he assumed the role of senior batsman, flaying through the off side, running hard, and pushing the score along with some support from Chamara Kapugedera. Ishant Sharma, who redeemed himself somewhat with a fine last over, and Zaheer were pasted all over the park by a marauding Jayasuriya and Dilshan as 53 came in the first five overs.

At that stage, a total of around 200 was well on the cards, but Sri Lanka lost the plot completely in the middle overs, scoring just 36 between the sixth and 12th overs, as Jehan Mubarak did his best to neutralise the momentum his team had got from Jayasuriya's early blitz. Eighty-two came from the last eight, which ensured Sri Lanka had a reasonable total to defend, but Dilshan will still rue the sloppiness of his bowlers. There were seven wides in the first six overs, and ten in all, and Dilshan was left screaming at his bowlers and wringing his hands in despair.

His spinners brought his team back into the contest, just as India's had, but the ultimate difference was the last three overs of both teams: Sri Lanka scored 19; India hammered 30.

Sri Lanka claim consolation victory

Sri Lanka v India, 5th ODI, Colombo

Sri Lanka claim consolation victory

February 8, 2009

Sri Lanka 320 for 8 (Dilshan 97, Sangakkara 84) beat India 252 (Yuvraj 73, Jadeja 60*, Dhoni 53) by 68 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	The Man-of-the-Match Kumar Sangakkara continued his good series with a brisk 84 as Sri Lanka denied India a clean sweep © AFP

Finally Sri Lanka showed up, prevented their first 5-0 series whitewash, and stopped India at nine ODI wins in a row. A turnaround began at the first toss they won in the series, continued with near-centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, and culminated in an energetic and smart show in the field.

For 62 balls Yuvraj Singh played a dream knock, keeping India in the game despite wickets falling around him. When he became the fifth Indian to fall, for a dazzling 73 out of India's 121 in the 22nd over, the 321-run target looked far away. But for that blitz from Yuvraj and a late-order collapse, Sri Lanka dominated the whole game, a feat that had looked unimaginable in the first four games.

Perhaps the toss played a big part. This was only the second time Mahela Jayawardene beat Mahendra Singh Dhoni with the coin in the last 11 occasions. On a dry track, Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilshan provided Sri Lanka with the ideal start and feasted on the wayward trio of Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, and L Balaji, making his ODI comeback after more than three years.

It was Jayasuriya who provided Sri Lanka with the springboard. During his short stay at the crease he beat the bowlers into submission. By the team Jayasuriya departed in the 11th over, after having displayed his trademark clip over midwicket, cut through point, the short-arm pull, and the loft over mid-off, Sri Lanka had reached 66.

The pyrotechnics may have stopped upon Jayasuriya's dismissal, but the runs kept coming at a fair pace. Sangakkara picked up boundaries regularly, minus the flashy strokeplay. The second ball he faced, Sangakkara reached out for a fullish delivery and cut it off the front foot for four. He also benefited from some wayward bowling from Virender Sehwag, who gave him a gift down the leg side at least once in his three overs. The fine-leg fielder was a busy man when Sehwag bowled, but in vain. Sehwag was replaced by another part-timer - India used six such bowlers, making it nine in all - but Sangakkara's paddle to fine leg kept yielding him rich results. In all, Sangakkara took 28 runs behind square on the leg side.

India tried to hustle through the middle overs, using all their dibbly-dobbly part-time spinners to bowl 21 overs between the drinks breaks, but all they managed to hurry was the scoring. Sangakkara's slog-sweeping over midwicket was effective. He hit three fours and a six there, taking 23 runs in the midwicket region. But his final slog-sweep denied him a century and ended a 143-run partnership.

It was easy to miss Dilshan with Jayasuriya and Sangakkara going hard, and he chose to stay inconspicuous, running hard between the wickets and waiting for the loose deliveries. He was especially severe outside off, finding the gaps through the covers consistently. Seventy of his runs, and eight of his nine boundaries, came through the point and cover region. His running with Sangakkara was exemplary, both of them often running seconds on the throw. This was Dilshan's first half-century of the series, and could very easily have been a century but Dilshan became part of a late collapse.

In his comeback spell, Ishant took two wickets in an over during a period when four wickets fell in six deliveries. As a result only 65 came in the last nine overs, and India were upbeat going into the chase.

But all such notions were put to rest in the first three overs through some smart cricket by Jayasuriya and Sangakkara. First Jayasuriya moved to his left to take a sharp catch from Sehwag off Thilan Thushara, in the second over of the innings. In the next over Sangakkara, who stood up to the seamers right from the start of the innings, hung on to a thick edge from Suresh Raina.

Yuvraj, though, didn't slow down even as India kept losing top-order wickets. Yuvraj picked his fifth delivery from outside off and flicked it over square leg for four. That was about the worst his timing would get, and this was divinely timed. Mere pushes split the field and sped off for boundaries, flicks and half-lofts reached the boundary on the bounce, and those hit straight to the fielders took some stopping. Neither Nuwan Kulasekara, Farveez Maharoof nor Thushara was spared as Yuvraj picked the slower balls and swept with ease; one of them off Maharoof went for a huge six. Yuvraj reached his 50 in 46 balls, hitting 10 boundaries.

The trouble was that two more wickets fell quickly, and Yuvraj had to keep the scoring-rate up. In the 22nd over of the innings he top-edged a sweep off Muttiah Muralitharan to give Sri Lanka the final fillip. At that time India needed 200 more in 28 overs, and as they looked to consolidate the asking-rate kept creeping on them. Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, the debutant, got half-centuries, but they were always racing against time. And the latter had a head start.

Gambhir stars in fourth straight win

Sri Lanka v India, 4th ODI, Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Gambhir stars in fourth straight win

February 5, 2009

India 332 for 5 (Gambhir 150, Dhoni 94) beat Sri Lanka 265 (Sangakkara 56) by 67 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Gautam Gambhir scored a career best 150 to lead India to their fourth win of the series © AFP

India marched to their longest winning streak - nine matches - with a comprehensive win that pushed Sri Lanka further towards their first 5-0 ODI whitewash. The victory was built around Gautam Gambhir's personal best and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 94 at No. 3, innings that helped set Sri Lanka a target of 333, 62 more than the highest-ever chased at the Premadasa Stadium. Sri Lanka hit the ground running at the start of their chase but Praveen Kumar and Pragyan Ojha eventually choked off the run supply.

The toss was won yet again by Dhoni, his ninth success in ten games against Sri Lanka, and it proved crucial as Ojha and the part-timers looked more effective under lights than even Muttiah Muralitharan did in the first half of the match. Murali did break the record for the most wickets in ODIs but his landmark victim, Gambhir, had scored 150 by then.

The toss was not the only correct call Dhoni made today. He promoted himself to No. 3 for the first time as captain after the early dismissal of Virender Sehwag. The last time he went in at No. 3, against Bangladesh, Dhoni had added 87 with Gambhir, who scored his second ODI century. Dhoni missed a hundred today after adding 188 with Gambhir, but maintained his superlative record at one-drop. Gambhir went on to make the highest individual score in Sri Lanka.

The total of 332 was achieved only after a difficult start. The pitch at the R Premadasa offered some movement with the new ball and Farveez Maharoof and Nuwan Kulasekara troubled the openers.

After Sehwag's fall - to a sharp catch by Sanath Jayasuriya at mid-off that was about the only moment of inspiration in the field - Gambhir and Dhoni were not given easy offerings. India hit only five boundaries in the first 14 overs and Gambhir had to step out and loft to break the shackles.

In the absence of boundaries, Gambhir and Dhoni ran with ferocity and the kind of understanding that Gambhir and Sehwag demonstrate. The Sri Lankan fielding wilted under the pressure, managing three misfields, not backing up well twice, and allowing too many twos in the outfield. The batsmen were alert to every opportunity, even running overthrows to ricochets off the stumps. Between them, Dhoni and Gambhir took 25 twos and five threes. Dhoni and Gambhir stepped up the pace when Mahela Jayawardene turned to his fourth and fifth bowlers. In back-to-back overs, Gambhir hit Angelo Mathews for a six to bring up his half-century and Dhoni treated Muttiah Muralitharan similarly to reach his. Dhoni looked for another higher gear but top-edged Jayasuriya to short third man when he was six short of his century.

Following the loss of three quick wickets, Gambhir switched from steady accumulator to ruthless hitter. He was on 87 off 98 balls when Yusuf got out, but scored 63 off the next 49. Along with Gambhir, Suresh Raina kept finding the gaps and India scored 97 in the last 12 overs.

Facing a daunting target, Sri Lanka's best chance was for Tillakaratne Dilshan and Jayasuriya to take on India's new-ball attack of Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan. They got off to a blazing start but the weight of the required run-rate was too much and both batsmen fell trying to manufacture shots. Kumar Sangakkara scored an impressive half-century but with wickets falling at the other end, he did not have it easy.

Unruly elements in the crowd interrupted play for the third match in a row just before Sri Lanka came unstuck. This time around, Dhoni led his team off the field. Only 17.2 overs had been bowled then, and 27 minutes were lost to the disruption. Play resumed only after a few stands were vacated.

Before the interruption, Praveen Kumar bowled an eight-over spell during which he reined Sri Lanka in. He had conceded only 33 of the 102 runs at the end of 16 overs, 12 of which came in his second over when Dilshan got stuck into him. At the other end, Jayasuriya took delight in flicking Irfan Pathan off his pads and hitting him over extra cover. However, he tried one shot too many and pulled Irfan straight to short cover where Rohit Sharma reacted quickly. Praveen had the final laugh in the battle against Dilshan, after the batsman top-edged a pull yet again. Between them Jayasuriya and Dilshan had scored 61 in 65 balls, but their dismissals meant Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had to consolidate for a while.

After the interruption, Sri Lanka lost the plot in face of disconcerting turn the Indian spinners got from the pitch. Ojha was the most impressive, casting the first seeds of doubt by spinning the ball across Jayawardene regularly.

Ojha bowled better than his 1 for 34 suggests and the part-time spinners benefited from the shackles that he imposed. Sri Lanka lost their last eight wickets for 125. Only nine boundaries and two sixes were hit after the 16th over, all of them after the match had practically been lost.

Yuvraj and Sehwag set up series win

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd ODI, Colombo

Yuvraj and Sehwag set up series win

February 3, 2009

India 363 for 5 (Yuvraj 117, Sehwag 116, Pathan 59*) beat Sri Lanka 216 (Sangakkara 83, Ojha 4-38) by 147 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag hammered hundreds to set Sri Lanka a massive target © AFP

Muttiah Muralitharan equalled Wasim Akram's world record of 502 one-day wickets, but there was little else for a voluble crowd to celebrate as swashbuckling centuries from Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag led India to a comprehensive 147-run victory at the Premadasa Stadium. There was a big-hitting cameo from Yusuf Pathan and four wickets for the promising Pragyan Ojha as the series was wrapped up with two games to spare. Kumar Sangakkara's classy 83 proved to be little more than a footnote on a day when Sri Lanka were again way off the pace.

Yuvraj and Sehwag were in sensational form, though Sri Lanka didn't really help their cause with some decidedly poor fielding. After being reduced to 24 for 2, it was Yuvraj who cornered most of the strike, stroking some magnificent boundaries on either side of the wicket. Too often, the bowlers strayed on to the pads and he was more than happy to work them fine or swat them contemptuously over midwicket. There was much for the purist to admire too though, with beautifully timed shots through cover and backward point.

Sehwag was a spectator in the early part of the partnership, but when the opportunity presented itself, he was no less ruthless. Nuwan Kulasekara was taken for three successive fours, after which he enjoyed his first moment of good fortune. A slower ball struck him initially on the pad in front of middle stump, but the proximity of the bat to the pad and the subsequent contact fooled the umpire.

Not that Sri Lanka made their own luck either. Farveez Maharoof didn't sight the ball when Yuvraj miscued Ajantha Mendis over midwicket, and Dilhara Fernando palmed a tough chance over the rope when Sehwag, then on 45, lifted the same bowler over wide long-on. Sanath Jayasuriya was the next culprit, grassing a routine caught-and-bowled chance with Sehwag on 72.

You can't give such batsmen such reprieves. It took Yuvraj only 82 balls to score his 11th one-day century. It took Sehwag seven deliveries less. By then, they were dismissing the bowling at will. It didn't matter whether it was Murali or Mendis, or Fernando. The ball kept disappearing over the infield or into the gaps, and some appalling fielding, epitomised by Mendis letting one through his legs, merely increased Mahela Jayawardene's angst.

Yuvraj finally departed after making 117 off 95 balls, but there was no real zest to Murali's celebration. By then, the partnership was worth 221, from just only balls. Sehwag left not long after, for 116 off 90 balls, when Jayasuriya threw the stumps down from mid-off. The scoreboard showed 265, and there were still 15.1 overs to be bowled. Yusuf Pathan then clouted three mighty sixes down the ground on his way to a 33-ball half-century, and though Mahendra Singh Dhoni was initially circumspect, the damage had already been done.

India would argue that they were due a rub of the Colombo green. Sachin Tendulkar, who had thumped an enormous six off a free hit, was unlucky to be given out leg-before for the third time in the series. The Fernando delivery was slanting down the leg side, but the umpire decided otherwise, leaving Tendulkar with 18 runs after three matches.

Gautam Gambhir, dropped before he had scored by Thilina Kandamby at point, was then run out after backing up too far. Again, Fernando's luck was in, with Sehwag's firm straight drive just brushing his fingertips before colliding with the stumps. It wouldn't halt India's momentum though, against pace and spin alike. They took 50 off the bowling Powerplay and 43 from the batting one, and a mammoth total gradually took shape.

But for a 67-run partnership between Sangakkara and Jayawardene, Sri Lanka were never in the contest. Sanath Jayasuriya chopped the first ball he faced on to the stumps. Praveen Kumar's relative lack of pace and a hint of swing provided the breakthrough, and though Tillakaratne Dilshan got the scoreboard moving with a couple of streaky fours, the required rate was a Damocles sword hanging over Sri Lankan heads from the outset.

Dilshan pulled Praveen for one mighty six, but his attempt to cleave Zaheer over midwicket only resulted in the middle stump being pegged back. The captain and his deputy briefly resurrected hopes, taking 39 from the bowling Powerplay, but India tightened their grip once Sri Lanka opted to take the batting one immediately afterwards.

Jayawardene miscued Praveen to Virender Sehwag at mid-off and the spell was broken, and Kandamby, nearly the hero in the last game, followed soon after, with an ill-judged reverse sweep. Dhoni had waited till the end of the fielding restrictions to introduce spin, and the gamble worked a treat.

Pragyan Ojha, taken for two fours in his opening over, turned one right across Chamara Kapugedera's bat to hit middle stump. And with the ball gripping and turning, Ojha turned in his best one-day display. Farveez Maharoof was smartly caught at slip and Sangakkara's resistance ended with a miscue to short fine leg, before Murali under-edged one to Dhoni.

A last-wicket partnership of 26 was merely academic, and there was plenty to ponder for a Sri Lankan side that bore no resemblance whatsoever to the one that was once so formidable on home turf.

Ricky Ponting has been rested

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been rested for the next two one-dayers against New Zealand, lending the reins to Michael Clarke.

© Getty Images

Ponting is one of only two players who have not had a break in the busy schedule, the other being Michael Hussey. They have not skipped a single match since the tour to India in October.

The right-hander played four Tests against India, two against New Zealand, three against South Africa, two international Twenty20 matches and six one-day matches since October last year.

The skipper will fly to Melbourne with the squad for the Allan Border Medal on Tuesday but will head home to Sydney before the second ODI in Melbourne.

Soon after the New Zealand series, Australia will fly to South Africa for three Tests and five one-dayers.

Ponting had a major operation on his wrist after the West Indies Test series and has batted with pain during the summer, but has managed to play more cricket than almost every other senior Australian player.

Commenting on the selection of the squads, NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said, “The National Selection Panel has selected a squad of 13 players for the next two games. There are two changes to the squad. Shaun Marsh has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and, consistent with Cricket Australia’s policy on managing player workload, Ricky Ponting has not been named in this squad.

“Naturally, as Australian captain, Ricky is keen to play every game and these next two games were no exception,” he said.

“However, it was always planned that Ricky would have a break at this time. While this is a difficult decision for the NSP, given the current performance of the team, in our view it is essential that Ricky has an opportunity to prepare for the forthcoming South Africa tour given his immense workload since the start of the India tour in late September last year,” Hilditch added.

Squad for 2nd and 3rd ODI: Michael Clarke (captain), Michael Hussey (vice captain), Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, David Warner, Cameron White, Adam Voges, Callum Ferguson.

Cool Taylor steers New Zealand to tight victory

Australia v New Zealand, Chappell-Hadlee Series, 1st ODI, Perth

Cool Taylor steers New Zealand to tight victory

February 1, 2009

New Zealand 8 for 182 (Taylor 64, Bracken 3-38) beat Australia 181 (Hussey 49, Mills 4-35) by 2 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Ross Taylor's clever innings gave New Zealand hope and ended in a sweet success © Getty Images

Ross Taylor showed calm class and Kyle Mills combined with bat and ball, but New Zealand had to wait until the last delivery to hand Australia their fourth loss in a row and gain a 1-0 lead in the Chappell-Hadlee Series. Taylor guided the tentative chase of the home team's below-par 181 and carried an order of novices before Daniel Vettori sealed the success with a glide behind point.

The timing of New Zealand's batting Powerplay was crucial - it came with eight overs to go - as they went from heading towards a troubling loss to redirecting course. Mills, who had already earned four wickets, picked up consecutive boundaries off Nathan Bracken (3 for 38) in a 12-run over that was followed by 11 from Shaun Tait, including a brave six swiped over midwicket by Taylor.

There was a late shift when Mills went for 26 from 35 balls and Taylor was caught by Michael Clarke for 64 off 97. With three wickets left, the visitors required nine from the final two overs and five from the last, losing Tim Southee before Vettori's poise.

Taylor's enthusiastic attitude brought some energy to the pursuit that was ailing at 3 for 25 in the 14th over and there were plenty of moments of doubt throughout. He was missed at third man on 15 by Mitchell Johnson, but his innings will be remembered for the Tait six, some fine cover drives and his desire to look for singles at every opportunity.

In a match that was excruciatingly ugly at times and gripping at others, Australia's batting was awful and New Zealand's was only slightly better. There were mistakes made at the WACA from players and officials that would not have been acceptable in the World Cricket League Division 3, where Afghanistan and Uganda finished on top. However, the bowling was a lot better than the standard at that tournament in Argentina, especially the work of Mills and Bracken.

New Zealand overcame two horrible moments in their chase, starting with Brendon McCullum being given out lbw despite a thick edge from the second ball of the innings off Tait. In the 36th over Neil Broom was "bowled" on 29 by Clarke after sharing a positive stand of 42 with Taylor. Not only did Brad Haddin's gloves come in front of the stumps, but he knocked off the bails and the ball did not seem to hit the wickets. Vettori was also involved in a tight run-out call but survived late in the game.

Life was hard for the visiting batsmen but three of the top order did not help their chances of success. The opener Martin Guptill's 13 took up 33 balls as the side started with extreme caution. Peter Fulton, who was even more of a tortoise than Guptill with 7 off 35, was the victim of a sensational caught-and-bowled from Johnson and then Grant Elliott spent 31 balls over 8 as the pressure increased on Taylor. He coped with it like it happens every week.

Mills provided the spark for New Zealand as they added to Australia's month of pain. Ricky Ponting's side lost the No. 1 ranking with their defeat to South Africa on Friday and there was no sign of recovery as the top order crumbled again at the WACA. Australia did worse than their 4 for 53 two days ago by slumping to 5 for 54 on a pitch Ponting said was ideal for batting after winning the toss.

A mix of loose shots, tight bowling from Mills and Vettori, and awful running contributed to the severe problems. Not only did the wickets fall quickly and early, but the batsmen also found it incredibly difficult to score at much more than two an over until Michael Hussey was joined by Haddin.

Mills was excellent over three spells and gained 4 for 35 as he ensured the innings finished eight balls early. Vettori is always a threat for Australia but was virtually impossible to get away as he gave up only 22 from ten overs in a fabulous display.

Hussey followed his breakthrough 78 on Friday with a measured 49 - he didn't have much choice considering the situation - and Australia were thankful for his effort. He pulled a six off Jeetan Patel and struck only one four, an off drive from Mills, before miscuing to mid-off.

Australia's troubles were highlighted by Ponting and Clarke, the two most senior players. They were too keen to show their aggression and made poor choices when chasing unachievable twos to the deep and were run out with the side already in trouble.

Mills began the match by removing both openers, with Shaun Marsh (15) and David Warner (7 from 18 balls) both finding the two-metre Fulton at short cover. Shortly after the start of the second innings Marsh fell to the ground while chasing a ball and was helped off with a left hamstring injury, adding to Australia's worsening situation.

India survive Kandamby scare in thriller

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd ODI, Colombo

India survive Kandamby scare in thriller

January 31, 2009

India 256 for 9 (Yuvraj 66) beat Sri Lanka 241 (Kandamby 93*, Jayawardene 52, Ishant 4-57) by 15 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Thilina Kandamby hit an unbeaten 93 under pressure, but failed to stop India from clinching a 15-run win © AFP

Thilina Kandamby almost masterminded a great escape for Sri Lanka, but just fell short in the face of Ishant Sharma, who kept his nerve and struck three crucial blows in the last 10 overs of a thrilling chase.

India's 256 was at least 30 short of what they would have expected after a fiery start, but half-way through Sri Lanka's innings it seemed they had shot over by at least 30. Kandamby had other ideas, though, stringing together a 100-run partnership with Mahela Jayawardene from 36 for 3, and smaller crucial ones with the lower order to take the match into the last over. Coming into the match Kandamby had scored 171 runs in eight matches, with one prior half-century, and ended unbeaten on 93 today.

After all three Indian pace bowlers had struck a blow in the first eight overs, slicing open the line-up, Jayawardene and Kandamby had no choice but to consolidate and rely on the death overs to make up for the slow run-rate. The asking-rate crossed six in the 19th over, and seven in the 30th over, but the two kept their cool. There were extremely quiet spells during their partnership: early on in the Powerplays they went through a 34-ball span where they scored only eight runs; in the middle overs they spent 88 balls without hitting a boundary.

Slyly during that period, Mahendra Singh Dhoni got through his weaker bowlers, and had nine overs from Ishant and Zaheer Khan in the kitty when the match entered the death overs. Jayawardene ended the boundary-less span with a six off Suresh Raina in the 34th over, but was dismissed soon after reaching his first half-century for 16 matches. Sri Lanka needed 121 from 94 balls at that stage, with Kandamby on 48 off 91 balls.

Upon reaching his half-century Kandamby accelerated, and Chamara Kapugedera (31 off 29) provided the impetus. Kandamby didn't have the power to clear the field, but he kept finding the gaps regularly. Boundaries started coming regularly, and the two took Sri Lanka to a stage where they needed 91 in the last 10 overs. In the 42nd over Sri Lanka opted for the batting Powerplay, and forged a string of overs that gave them at least one boundary. Overs No. 41 to 47 went for 11, 9, 11, 9 ,11, 8 and 7. But during those overs Ishant stayed cool and used the slower delivery well. He dismissed Kapugedera, Faveez Maharoof and Thilan Thushara with the equation reading 70 off 53, 51 off 36, and 29 off 21 respectively.

Zaheer and Ishant bowled two tight overs after that, giving away four and one, and panic set in. Two run-outs left Sri Lanka needing 20 off the last over with one wicket in hand. Praveen Kumar, who had bowled a superb first spell of 8-1-18-1, bowled a wide and two low fulltosses, the second of them resulting in Ajantha Mendis' run-out. Had Kandamby - who scored 45 off the last 38 deliveries he faced - managed the jailbreak, this would have been the third-highest chase at the R Premadasa.

That Sri Lanka were still in the match when they came out to bat was thanks largely to the efforts of Maharoof and Muttiah Muralitharan, who thwarted India's rapid progress twice after Dhoni had won yet another toss against Sri Lanka.

After Sachin Tendulkar got a second ordinary lbw decision in as many matches (the ball was heading down leg), Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir looked ominous in the first Powerplay. They took India along to 62 in the first nine overs, engaging in a sort of boundary-hitting contest. They were tied with four boundaries each when Jayawardene introduced Maharoof, and with immediate results. The third ball he bowled pitched within the stumps, nipped away with extra bounce, and took Gambhir's edge. Three overs later, Sehwag tried to pick up his third three on a relay throw, but was beaten by the Murali-Sanath Jayasuriya combo.

Yuvraj and Suresh Raina recovered well from that double-strike and their own shaky starts. After edging Mendis' carom ball between Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene when on 18, Yuvraj went on to unleash his trademark crunchy boundaries, the most satisfactory being a six over long-off in Mendis' next over. But with Murali came further troubles for the batsmen: in his first over he made both Raina and Yuvraj cut and miss. With Murali in the vicinity, Yuvraj couldn't quite break away, but reached his half-century in 74 deliveries.

Bowling changes then worked for Jayawardene again. Although Raina slogged Tillakaratne Dilshan's first ball for a six, the bowler had his back in his third over, surprising Raina with some extra bounce. The major blow came two overs later, in the first over of Nuwan Kulasekara's second spell. Yuvraj was given out lbw, but replays showed he had clearly played the ball onto his pad. India could add only 76 in the following 16.5 overs, including only one boundary in their batting Powerplay.

Maharoof was exceptional in the Powerplay, choking the batsmen with slower deliveries. His stock pace was the variation then, and the batsmen couldn't get any power into their shots. He gave only 40 runs in his 10 overs, six of them bowled in the Powerplays. But the efforts of Kandamby and Maharoof were not enough to deny a cool India their seventh win in a row.

India ease to six-wicket win in opener

Sri Lanka v India, 1st ODI, Dambulla

India ease to six-wicket win in opener

January 28, 2009

India 247 for 4 (Gambhir 62, Raina 54, Dhoni 61*) beat Sri Lanka 246 for 6 (Jayasuriya 107, Ishant 3-51) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	With his hundred, Sanath Jayasuriya corrected his poor personal record at this venue - 364 runs in 17 innings before this © AFP

Half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni outdid a superlative century from Sanath Jayasuriya as India successfully chased the highest total in a day game in Dambulla. The pursuit never got out of hand for India, despite the early fall of Sachin Tendulkar. Once Gambhir and Raina got going, the asking-rate went above five only towards the last ten overs.

India got vital contributions from three batsmen, and were disciplined in the field. Sri Lanka relied on a spectacular Jayasuriya alone for their runs, and dropped both Gambhir and Raina in the initial stages of their innings.

Both the chances came in a frenetic first Powerplay of India's innings, after Kumar Dharmasena erroneously sent Tendulkar on his way as his first umpiring victim, lbw off a ball that pitched outside leg. In the over following that dismissal, Nuwan Kulasekara came up with an athletic effort to catch a low leading edge from Gambhir off his own bowling. But after various replays Gambhir benefited from lack of sufficient evidence, although the take could well have been clean.

In the next over Raina cut Thilan Thushara straight to Tillakaratne Dilshan at point and survived. Insult was added to injury in the next over, when Raina unleashed two delightful straight drives and a lofted six off Kulasekara. Two overs later, Gambhir edged Farveez Maharoof, but Mahela Jayawardene failed to hold on to a high chance.

Both went on to hurt Sri Lanka - Raina was 6 when dropped, and Gambhir 11. On a slow track, in hot and humid conditions, India needed a quick start, and that's what they provided. The chances notwithstanding, they took India to 54 in the first 10 overs. After that they settled down. Gambhir took the aggressor's role, often stepping out to medium-pacers and looking to go over extra cover. He also showed cheek when he upper-cut a Thilan Thushara bouncer over slips.

When the two fell within 11 runs of each other, Dhoni was there to guide India through to the target. He negated the threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis by playing them extremely late, often taking the ball virtually out of Kumar Sangakkara's gloves and placing it. His first scoring shot was a slice from in front of stumps, guiding it past the wicketkeeper for four. The slow pitch didn't help the spinners either.

The outstanding feature of Dhoni's knock was not the power, but the placement: two of his five boundaries came after he had ensured India would win. He nudged and patted his way to 27 singles and seven twos. True to his image, he stayed unbeaten. How Jayasuriya would have wished that somebody in the Sri Lankan batting line-up followed up on his effort, like Dhoni did after Gambhir and Raina's dismissals. That Jayasuriya played a different game from his team-mates was evident: when he got out in the 40th over he had scored 107 in 114 balls, while the rest had managed 64 in 122 deliveries.

Joy for Jayasuriya Jayasuriya became the oldest man to score an ODI century When he brought up his 37th run, he also became the second man to reach the 13,000-mark in his career He also crossed 50 for the 95th time to go one clear of Sourav Ganguly, and in second place behind Sachin Tendulkar who has 132 His knock was the second ODI century in Dambulla, and the highest individual score as well

Jayasuriya's innings came on the 212th day of his 40th year, making him the oldest centurion in ODIs. He did owe the team a big performance, however, after being implicated in the first over run-out of Dilshan. Jayasuriya responded to Dilshan's call but stopped after taking two steps, and with Sri Lanka's in-form batsman out of the equation, what followed was an asphyxiating opening spell by Zaheer Khan. But Jayasuriya targeted Munaf Patel from the other end. He took at least one boundary - choosing to go over covers - in the first four of Munaf's overs, not letting the scoring stagnate.

But the runs hardly came from the other end. By the time spin was introduced, in the 16th over, Sangakkara had scored 18 in 47 deliveries and Jayasuriya 38 in 41. With spin came further shackles, and the slow nature of the pitch made boundary-hitting all the more difficult. In demanding conditions, Jayasuriya showed he was supremely fit at his age - running 18 twos, six of them for Sangakakara and four of those back-to-back. He cramped up, kneeled down between deliveries to recover, but the short cut was not to be taken.

He broke the ten-over boundary-less spell, hitting Pragyan Ojha onto the sightscreen, and followed it up with a pulled four off Yusuf Pathan in the next over. But he lost Sangakkara at a stage when one of the two could have gone for an all-out assault. Jayasuriya himself fell at an inopportune time, the second over of the batting Powerplay, but he had lost all his energy by then and lobbed a slower full toss to mid-off. The batting bar was lowered once again, as Zaheer and Ishant Sharma bowled superbly in the final overs. They used the change of pace to good effect, and Zaheer also managed some late swing. Mahela Jayawardene's struggle continued, and only 82 runs were scored in the final 12 overs.

2nd Test Match: India v Australia- scorecard

Test no. 1889

Border-Gavaskar Trophy - 2nd Test India v Australia

2008/09 season

Played at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, on 17,18,19,20,21 October 2008 (5-day match) Result India won by 320 runs

	India 1st innings			R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
		G Gambhir	c Haddin b Johnson	67	192	140	9	0	47.85
		V Sehwag	c Haddin b Johnson	35	70	36	6	0	97.22
		R Dravid	b Lee	39	118	70	7	0	55.71
		SR Tendulkar	c Hayden b Siddle	88	186	111	10	0	79.27
		VVS Laxman	c Haddin b Johnson	12	18	19	2	0	63.15
		SC Ganguly	c Lee b White	102	332	225	8	0	45.33
		I Sharma	c Katich b Siddle	9	40	33	1	0	27.27
		MS Dhoni	lbw b Siddle	92	176	124	8	4	74.19
		Harbhajan Singh	b White	1	16	9	0	0	11.11
		Z Khan	run out (Lee/Haddin)	2	25	10	0	0	20.00
		A Mishra	not out	0	4	0	0	0	-
		Extras	(b 4, lb 10, w 5, nb 3)	22
		Total	(all out; 129 overs; 594 mins)	469	(3.63 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-70 (Sehwag, 14.2 ov), 2-146 (Dravid, 40.5 ov), 3-146 (Gambhir, 41.1 ov), 4-163 (Laxman, 45.1 ov), 5-305 (Tendulkar, 81.5 ov), 6-326 (Sharma, 89.6 ov), 7-435 (Ganguly, 119.1 ov), 8-442 (Harbhajan Singh, 123.1 ov), 9-469 (Khan, 127.6 ov), 10-469 (Dhoni, 128.6 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	B Lee	24	5	86	1	3.58	(2nb, 1w)
	PM Siddle	28	5	114	3	4.07	(1nb)
	MG Johnson	27	4	85	3	3.14
	SR Watson	24	3	71	0	2.95
	MJ Clarke	7	0	28	0	4.00
	CL White	19	0	71	2	3.73

	Australia 1st innings			R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
		ML Hayden	b Khan	0	2	3	0	0	0.00
		SM Katich	b Mishra	33	102	65	6	0	50.76
		RT Ponting	lbw b Sharma	5	35	23	1	0	21.73
		MEK Hussey	c Dhoni b Sharma	54	181	119	7	0	45.37
		MJ Clarke	lbw b Mishra	23	77	60	3	0	38.33
		SR Watson	lbw b Mishra	78	264	156	10	1	50.00
		BJ Haddin	b Harbhajan Singh	9	39	29	1	0	31.03
		CL White	b Mishra	5	26	23	0	0	21.73
		B Lee	c Dravid b Harbhajan Singh	35	124	96	6	0	36.45
		MG Johnson	not out	9	40	32	0	1	28.12
		PM Siddle	st Dhoni b Mishra	0	8	8	0	0	0.00
		Extras	(lb 13, nb 4)	17
		Total	(all out; 101.4 overs; 454 mins)	268	(2.63 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-0 (Hayden, 0.3 ov), 2-17 (Ponting, 7.5 ov), 3-62 (Katich, 21.6 ov), 4-102 (Clarke, 40.5 ov), 5-130 (Hussey, 47.5 ov), 6-146 (Haddin, 55.3 ov), 7-167 (White, 62.2 ov), 8-240 (Lee, 90.1 ov), 9-262 (Watson, 99.2 ov), 10-268 (Siddle, 101.4 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Z Khan	25	7	56	1	2.24	(1nb)
	I Sharma	21	4	68	2	3.23	(1nb)
	Harbhajan Singh	29	9	60	2	2.06	(1nb)
	A Mishra	26.4	8	71	5	2.66	(1nb)

	India 2nd innings			R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
		G Gambhir	c Hussey b White	104	219	138	7	1	75.36
		V Sehwag	c Haddin b Siddle	90	183	122	8	0	73.77
		MS Dhoni	not out	68	107	84	3	1	80.95
		SC Ganguly	c Clarke b Lee	27	54	37	2	0	72.97
		SR Tendulkar	not out	10	16	12	1	0	83.33
		Extras	(b 3, lb 4, w 5, nb 3)	15
		Total	(3 wickets dec; 65 overs; 291 mins)	314	(4.83 runs per over)

Did not bat R Dravid, VVS Laxman, A Mishra, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, I Sharma

Fall of wickets1-182 (Sehwag, 39.1 ov), 2-224 (Gambhir, 47.5 ov), 3-290 (Ganguly, 61.6 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	B Lee	14	0	61	1	4.35	(1nb)
	PM Siddle	15	1	62	1	4.13	(1nb)
	MG Johnson	14	0	72	0	5.14
	CL White	8	0	48	1	6.00	(1w)
	SR Watson	5	0	20	0	4.00
	MEK Hussey	8	0	38	0	4.75	(1nb)
	MJ Clarke	1	0	6	0	6.00

	Australia 2nd innings (target: 516 runs)			R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
		ML Hayden	lbw b Harbhajan Singh	29	37	20	4	0	145.00
		SM Katich	c Tendulkar b Harbhajan Singh	20	41	26	4	0	76.92
		RT Ponting	b Sharma	2	16	11	0	0	18.18
		MEK Hussey	lbw b Harbhajan Singh	1	8	4	0	0	25.00
		MJ Clarke	c Sehwag b Mishra	69	236	152	9	0	45.39
		SR Watson	lbw b Sharma	2	25	22	0	0	9.09
		BJ Haddin	b Khan	37	118	105	6	0	35.23
		CL White	c Dhoni b Khan	1	8	3	0	0	33.33
		B Lee	b Khan	0	1	1	0	0	0.00
		MG Johnson	c & b Mishra	26	69	44	4	0	59.09
		PM Siddle	not out	0	6	4	0	0	0.00
		Extras	(b 4, nb 4)	8
		Total	(all out; 64.4 overs; 287 mins)	195	(3.01 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-49 (Hayden, 7.2 ov), 2-50 (Katich, 7.6 ov), 3-52 (Hussey, 9.5 ov), 4-52 (Ponting, 10.2 ov), 5-58 (Watson, 16.3 ov), 6-142 (Haddin, 46.6 ov), 7-144 (White, 48.2 ov), 8-144 (Lee, 48.3 ov), 9-194 (Johnson, 62.6 ov), 10-195 (Clarke, 64.4 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Z Khan	15	3	71	3	4.73	(1nb)
	I Sharma	13	4	42	2	3.23
	Harbhajan Singh	20	3	36	3	1.80	(1nb)
	A Mishra	11.4	2	35	2	3.00	(2nb)
	V Sehwag	5	2	7	0	1.40

Toss India, who chose to bat first Series India led the 4-match series 1-0 Test debuts PM Siddle (Australia); A Mishra (India) Player of the match MS Dhoni (India) Umpires Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and RE Koertzen (South Africa) TV umpire AM Saheba Match referee BC Broad (England) Reserve umpire AY Dandekar Close of play 17 Oct day 1 - India 1st innings 311/5 (SC Ganguly 54*, I Sharma 2*, 85 ov) 18 Oct day 2 - Australia 1st innings 102/4 (MEK Hussey 37*, 40.5 ov) 19 Oct day 3 - India 2nd innings 100/0 (G Gambhir 46*, V Sehwag 53*, 23 ov) 20 Oct day 4 - Australia 2nd innings 141/5 (MJ Clarke 42*, BJ Haddin 37*, 46 ov) 21 Oct day 5 - Australia 2nd innings 195 (64.4 ov) - end of match

Match notes

• Day 1
• India 1st innings
• India: 50 runs in 8.6 overs (55 balls), Extras 5
• 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 55 balls (G Gambhir 21, V Sehwag 26, Ex 5)
• Drinks: India - 63/0 in 13.0 overs (G Gambhir 29, V Sehwag 29)
• India: 100 runs in 24.4 overs (149 balls), Extras 5
• G Gambhir: 50 off 88 balls (8 x 4)
• Lunch: India - 104/1 in 25.0 overs (G Gambhir 53, R Dravid 11)
• 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 105 balls (G Gambhir 27, R Dravid 24, Ex 0)
• Drinks: India - 146/1 in 40.0 overs (G Gambhir 67, R Dravid 39)
• India: 150 runs in 42.5 overs (258 balls), Extras 5
• Tea: India - 174/4 in 51.0 overs (SR Tendulkar 13, SC Ganguly 2)
• India: 200 runs in 55.6 overs (338 balls), Extras 6
• 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 92 balls (SR Tendulkar 19, SC Ganguly 32, Ex 0)
• Drinks: India - 236/4 in 65.0 overs (SR Tendulkar 41, SC Ganguly 35)
• India: 250 runs in 69.2 overs (419 balls), Extras 9
• SR Tendulkar: 50 off 80 balls (5 x 4)
• 5th Wicket: 100 runs in 165 balls (SR Tendulkar 55, SC Ganguly 44, Ex 3)
• SC Ganguly: 50 off 100 balls (4 x 4)
• New Ball Taken: India 293/4 after 80.1 overs (SR Tendulkar 80, SC Ganguly 51)
• India: 300 runs in 81.1 overs (490 balls), Extras 13
• End Of Day: India - 311/5 in 85.0 overs (SC Ganguly 54, I Sharma 2)

• Day 2
• India: 350 runs in 96.1 overs (581 balls), Extras 15
• Drinks: India - 362/6 in 98.0 overs (SC Ganguly 70, MS Dhoni 27)
• 7th Wicket: 50 runs in 67 balls (SC Ganguly 14, MS Dhoni 35, Ex 1)
• India: 400 runs in 110.1 overs (665 balls), Extras 15
• Lunch: India - 401/6 in 111.0 overs (SC Ganguly 91, MS Dhoni 45)
• MS Dhoni: 50 off 63 balls (5 x 4, 2 x 6)
• 7th Wicket: 100 runs in 160 balls (SC Ganguly 34, MS Dhoni 58, Ex 8)
• SC Ganguly: 100 off 219 balls (8 x 4)
• India: 450 runs in 124.4 overs (752 balls), Extras 22
• Drinks: India - 457/8 in 125.0 overs (MS Dhoni 80, Z Khan 2)
• Innings Break: India - 469/10 in 129.0 overs (A Mishra 0)
• Australia 1st innings
• Tea: Australia - 13/1 in 6.0 overs (SM Katich 8, RT Ponting 5)
• Australia: 50 runs in 18.1 overs (111 balls), Extras 3
• Drinks: Australia - 62/3 in 22.0 overs (MEK Hussey 21)
• Australia: 100 runs in 38.6 overs (237 balls), Extras 4
• End Of Day: Australia - 102/4 in 40.5 overs (MEK Hussey 37)

• Day 3
• MEK Hussey: 50 off 117 balls (6 x 4)
• Drinks: Australia - 139/5 in 52.0 overs (SR Watson 11, BJ Haddin 6)
• Australia: 150 runs in 56.1 overs (340 balls), Extras 7
• Lunch: Australia - 174/7 in 66.0 overs (SR Watson 32, B Lee 5)
• Australia: 200 runs in 76.6 overs (466 balls), Extras 12
• SR Watson: 50 off 102 balls (7 x 4, 1 x 6)
• 8th Wicket: 50 runs in 110 balls (SR Watson 23, B Lee 24, Ex 6)
• Drinks: Australia - 221/7 in 81.0 overs (SR Watson 54, B Lee 25)
• New Ball Taken: Australia 221/7 after 81.1 overs (SR Watson 54, B Lee 25)
• Tea: Australia - 249/8 in 93.0 overs (SR Watson 66, MG Johnson 2)
• Australia: 250 runs in 94.2 overs (570 balls), Extras 17
• Innings Break: Australia - 268/10 in 101.4 overs (MG Johnson 9)
• India 2nd innings
• India: 50 runs in 11.6 overs (72 balls), Extras 0
• 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 72 balls (G Gambhir 28, V Sehwag 23, Ex 0)
• Drinks: India - 58/0 in 14.0 overs (G Gambhir 29, V Sehwag 29)
• V Sehwag: 50 off 68 balls (6 x 4)
• India: 100 runs in 22.6 overs (139 balls), Extras 1
• End Of Day: India - 100/0 in 23.0 overs (G Gambhir 46, V Sehwag 53)
• 1st Wicket: 100 runs in 139 balls (G Gambhir 46, V Sehwag 53, Ex 1)

• Day 4
• G Gambhir: 50 off 77 balls (4 x 4)
• India: 150 runs in 31.5 overs (192 balls), Extras 4
• 1st Wicket: 150 runs in 192 balls (G Gambhir 70, V Sehwag 76, Ex 4)
• Drinks: India - 171/0 in 36.0 overs (G Gambhir 80, V Sehwag 86)
• India: 200 runs in 42.3 overs (258 balls), Extras 7
• G Gambhir: 100 off 136 balls (7 x 4, 1 x 6)
• Lunch: India - 230/2 in 49.0 overs (MS Dhoni 26, SC Ganguly 3)
• India: 250 runs in 53.1 overs (322 balls), Extras 7
• MS Dhoni: 50 off 61 balls (3 x 4)
• 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 54 balls (MS Dhoni 29, SC Ganguly 21, Ex 0)
• India: 300 runs in 62.5 overs (381 balls), Extras 15
• Drinks: India - 308/3 in 64.0 overs (MS Dhoni 65, SR Tendulkar 7)
• Innings Break: India - 314/3 in 65.0 overs (MS Dhoni 68, SR Tendulkar 10)
• Australia 2nd innings
• Australia: 50 runs in 7.4 overs (46 balls), Extras 0
• Tea: Australia - 50/2 in 8.0 overs (RT Ponting 1)
• Drinks: Australia - 81/5 in 27.0 overs (MJ Clarke 17, BJ Haddin 9)
• Australia: 100 runs in 31.4 overs (193 balls), Extras 3
• 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 117 balls (MJ Clarke 27, BJ Haddin 19, Ex 4)
• End Of Day: Australia - 141/5 in 46.0 overs (MJ Clarke 42, BJ Haddin 37)

• Day 5
• Australia: 150 runs in 50.1 overs (305 balls), Extras 8
• MJ Clarke: 50 off 108 balls (7 x 4)
• Drinks: Australia - 186/8 in 58.0 overs (MJ Clarke 64, MG Johnson 22)
• 9th Wicket: 50 runs in 86 balls (MJ Clarke 24, MG Johnson 26, Ex 0)